Golden Mercury and Brilliant Blue
by mika nee-san
Summary: Nagisa Shiota and Karma Akabane teach Mika Shimada, a dull girl with a melancholic history who hates violence, everything they know about assassination because they need to kill their very own teacher, Korosensei, as a whole class. Otherwise, the world will end catastrophically, exactly like how the moon became permanently crescent in form.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Entrance Exams**

 _I had always_ wondered when I was a kid: why do tests drive students insane? "They're quite easy, why make such a big fuss out of it?" I used to ask my 5-year old self. All I knew were ABC's and 123's, so please don't blame me folks. I never knew the answer to this question until I took the entrance examination for the prestigious Kunugigaoka Junior High.

Examinations back then were as easy as playing hopscotch and beating my best friend, Suji Erezawa. Best friend eh… well he used to be. But they moved to Nagoya and we never kept in touch because I never had a phone. My Aunt Chiyoko did, but she never let me use it because I was too "young". I might destroy it. Well, so big of her to make her 2-yr old son, Kenji Shimada, use it to play games in it quite stupidly because the only thing he ever did was tap on its keypads and lose the freaking game.

Oh and yes, I lived with my aunt and not my parents. Why? Simple. I never knew them. My aunt never mentioned them, and whenever I asked, she always went loco. She'd go ridiculously berserk and destroy anything on her way like a madwoman and then point her finger at me whenever her husband, Uncle Aiko, asked what the heck happened because of the presence of shattered glass and ceramics. And that, my friends, would earn me a good hit on the neck from my uncle.

My childhood wasn't filled with butterflies and marshmallows and chocolate-stained shirt and laughing in the sun. You see, Aunt Chiyoko, her name meant "a child of a thousand generations" and Uncle Aiko's meant "glorious man". Tch. Yeah, right. Aunt showed me thousands of generations of hellish madness and Uncle gave me his glorious punches and slaps. So much for having names with deep meanings.

Kenji, on the other hand, grew up different from his parents. He really played well as my good little otouto. He's my little ball of sunshine. He was my hope when I thought humanity was gone. He was my reason to live and he still is. Kenji would always protect me from his parents but they wouldn't listen to him. I told him it was okay because I didn't want him to be involved to such hideous acts but he would still continue to defend me.

"No, sweetie, your onee-chan right here is really getting on your oka-san's nerves. She just needs to get a taste of her own medicine," Aunt Chiyoko would say to her son. Her husband would then agree.

"But onee-chan's a good person, oka-san! But you're being bad to her," Kenji would wail.

And then Uncle Aiko would lock him up and beat me into a pulp.

And when they already seemed satisfied with my black-and-blue covered skin, I would rush into my small bedroom and no, I won't cry but instead I would write. And write. And write. And write about why it didn't hurt but it left a scar. I was numb but my heart ached at the thought that I would never know oka-san and otou-san.

"this house is not a home  
and it will never be a home  
because my aunt is not oka-san  
and my uncle is not otou-san  
and they will never be my family"

I grew up loving words. Kenji was a poem because he saved me. Even though my life was black and white, my mind was colored with orange and gold and blue. I was filled with the reflection and refraction and dispersion of light, all because of words and Kenji. Maybe I was wrong when I was a little child, because the house felt like home with my sweet, little otouto.

"I thought I was gray  
Little did I know  
That I had a spectra  
Of different colors  
Of different shades  
Residing within me"

This entrance exam was a battlefield and all these questions are grotesque monsters. Should I ask the proctor why on earth was I taking an exam for first year college students? This school was called Kunugigaoka JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL for a reason! Why would they give us such a high-level exam? If this was a videogame, I'd be a freaking noob.

I reread the questions thoroughly because I never actually analyzed them carefully. All I did for the past 30 minutes was complain inside my head and think about my ugly past.

But now that I had reread them…

These questions weren't monsters! These questions were for babies! I tried to answer them all in a very scrupulous manner. I was like in a battlefield warring with insects with a roach killer in my hand. But I only had one can and there were gazillions of insects around me! So I exterminated these creepy crawlers one by one and I finally killed a quarter of them! But the can was almost empty (15 minutes left) and there were still three-fourths (150 questions) of them remaining! Darn it! Why did I spend so much time complaining in the past few minutes anyway? Uh… never mind. I'm just going to finish the questions that I can finish. It's not like I was expecting to pass anyway. This is a prestigious school, and a prestigious school is not for an ordinary girl with a bitter past like me.

Time was up and I barely even finished half of the questions. Great job, Mika! Way to go! I handed my test paper in and I walked straight home to find Kenji on the front gates asking how did the exams go. I just looked at him and smiled and told him that it was okay even if it wasn't. I wasted all of my energy. We went inside the house and I made lunch for me, Kenji, Aunt Chiyoko and Uncle Aiko.

"I want to eat lunch with you mika nee-chan! You always eat alone!"

I grinned at him and told him that it was okay because his nee-chan was used to it. He should eat lunch with his parents because it would make them mad if he didn't.

"But nee-chan is lonely when she eats all by herself! She should eat with her cute otouto!"

It made me chuckle that he'd do it for me. All of my tiredness seemed to be washed away because of my brother's kindness. Indeed, he has a heart bigger than himself. I sat with him on the table and we both said in unison, "Itadakimasu!"


	2. Chapter 2: My History and a Weird Day

**Chapter 2: My History and a Weird Day**

 _I heard Aunt_ Chiyoko's bloodcurdling screams from the kitchen. It had been two weeks since I took my entrance exam in Kunugigaoka Junior High and from what I had perceived, I already know how I did. Actually, I already knew what mark I was going to get even before she shouted that loud. I didn't need her horrific yells to tell me that I did quite badly.

Her footsteps made me flinch as she ascended the stairs because the house felt as if it was literally shaking but I wasn't afraid of her monstrous personality anymore. Ever since I was a little kid, I already got used to her scolding and violent reactions. If she was a chemical, all of the hazard symbols would be seen on her brand. Extremely dangerous. Tremendously toxic. Treacherously explosive.

When I heard that she was nearing to my bedroom, I already anticipated what was going to happen in 3… 2… 1…

"I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO GO TO A FANCY, POCKET-EMPTYING SCHOOL FOR YOU TO END UP IN 3-E!" She bellowed angrily, her grip on the doorknob made her knuckles so white. Her face was dripping with perspiration that would make any other person think that she ran a marathon, but of course knowing my dear and beloved aunt, she only sweated that much when her madness kicked in.

I wanted to say that I didn't ask her to send me to a "FANCY, POCKET-EMPTYING" school, but I didn't mutter anything because I knew that it would only worsen her grotesque face. I couldn't even say sorry because she would only say that my apology wouldn't change what I did.

I only looked down, and she just laughed annoyingly. "Guffawed," I thought, might actually be the best term to justify what she was doing.

"Why would I expect so much from you? You're just as stupid as your unintelligent mother." She smirked, wiped a tear from her right eye due to her infuriating laughter, and looked at me darkly. Everything happened so swiftly after that.

I was already behind her, my right elbow around her fat and almost non-existent neck. I wasn't choking her nor harming her, but whatever it was that I was doing, it was making her tremble in tremendous fear. I felt something very unusual with a desire that was beyond my control. I was all hot and cold in the inside. It was like I was emitting a strange and ominous aura. I could feel my heart pumping blood and adrenaline seemed to overflow through my vessels. I was also having a tunnel vision. My system was filled with such oddity that even I couldn't explain it myself. My mind was then filled with death and darkness.

And I immediately thought it wasn't something I should feel good about. It was strangely addicting, but I didn't want it as well. I suddenly released Aunt Chiyoko but she was still shaking in great horror. Her eyes were wide and she was breathing as if she was begging for more oxygen to enter her lungs.

I was also feeling the same thing: suffocated with fear.

None of us made a move at first, we were just staring at each other like we had just seen a ghost. I could see Aunt Chiyoko's face becoming pale and eyes turning red not because of anger, but because, to my surprise, was brimming with tears. She blinked them away and then she ran out of my bedroom, leaving me shocked on what just happened.

"I was in flames and ice  
The raven in my eyes  
My mind hazy in dust  
For I have felt blood lust"

Everyone was silent when dinner came. No one was scolding me at the table. No one asked Uncle Aiko about his work. Nobody requested Aunt Chiyoko to pass the salt. And I could tell that Kenji was sensing the palpable tension. It was probably much worse to feel such coldness in the surroundings than to be aggressively scolded at.

Dinner was finished in a blur and I already went straight to my bedroom so that I could read English-translated Japanese publications. I self-learned English ever since I was 5 and loved writing English poetry in the process. Whilst I was reading a book, I thought that I should help myself with a cup of coffee just because. Before I even reached the staircase, I heard Aunt Chiyoko and Uncle Aiko conversing. The door was left ajar so I went closer to eavesdrop on what they were talking about.

"…was terrifyingly dangerous Aiko. I felt like I was going to die in that doltish girl's room. I didn't know what to do! I was frozen in place," my aunt said in a shrilly voice.

"Do you think _she's_ making a comeback?" Uncle said.

"Aiko, you know that I do not believe in hoaxes."

"But, dear, that girl reminded you of your sister when that incident happened. You told me that your sister had an eerie obsession for blood since you were kids. And you thought that Mika was going to kill you."

"I don't have a sister, Aiko. She never existed. Hiromi is just a name used to make up a stupid legend."

"Chiyo—"

"Hiromi is dead, Aiko! She died in that damned forest fire! She left us with nothing but a burdensome, fatherless child!"

"Maybe she never died. May-"

"Don't tell me that you know better than I do, Aiko! She's my sister and now she's gone! She's gone forever!"

I was taken aback by shock due to all of the things that I had just heard. I hadn't known my mother's name until now. Hiromi. Such a beautiful name. I bet she had a stunningly beautiful face as well. I missed her and I still do. Oka-san, where were you? Why did you leave me? Why? Who was my otou-san? And why did you have a weird obsession for blood? What were you?

What _are_ you?

I never knew anything about you.

I had so many questions in mind that I couldn't bear it. I went back to my bedroom and straight to my bed. For the first time, I felt weak and vulnerable. I cried and drowned myself in tears as I went to sleep.

Kunugigaoka Junior High was reputable academy filled with very knowledgeable students and highly-skilled teachers. Its main building was immensely capacious which I would obviously prefer to go into. The students of all genders were wearing gray skirts/gray trousers with black-lined edges that were complemented by gray blazers (outlined with black along the edges). Others wore a white, button up shirt and a navy blue or black waistcoat. Those pupils in the main building seemed to have the time of their lives. Sadly, I didn't belong in that building.

I went to Principal Asano's office first before anything else because he told my aunt to go straight to his workplace for the reason that we needed to discuss some important and confidential matters. It literally threw me off when my aunt told me so because why would a principal want to discuss private information with a newcomer, not to mention a Class 3-E student? I knocked on his door, which was immediately followed by his words: "Come in."

As I opened his office door, I was suddenly surrounded by dark aura which made me feel unpleasant. He was sitting on his black revolving chair when I entered his eerie office. He swiveled around to face me and honestly, this discomfort that I was feeling intensified. It seemed that the unusual ambiance was emitted by Principal Asano.

"Good morning, Principal Asano," I said while I was bowing down.

"Ah good morning, Shimada-san," he muttered in an insincere voice. I had never heard someone say "good morning" before with such a cold voice. Brrrrr!

"I suppose your aunt had told you that you ought to meet me to discourse confidential matters," he neared to his table and rested his forearms.

"Yes, Principal Asano," I replied with respect.

He told me that I was a part of the "End Class" and that I should do something that any soul should not know of. He started by telling me about the permanently altered shape of the moon. A great, yellow creature was responsible for its forever crescent shape. On our graduation, it would also do the same thing to the Earth. And I, a member of class 3-E, was given the opportunity (holy smokes, do you even call this an "opportunity"?) to assassinate such extraordinary being. The advantage was that I could annihilate it in a very close range (and of course, we were given the privilege to save the world from such a catastrophic event) along with several other students. It also wouldn't be able to hurt us because there was some sort of agreement that he would not harm any of the students from 3-E. Plus, we would be using weapons that would only affect the creature, but not humans. Bad news was that the it was powerful and it could travel at Mach 20 speed.

"MACH 20?!" I was shocked. Shocked, my dear friends, was an understatement. And I had just realized that it was the intimidating Principal Asano that I was conversing with. So, I cleared my throat and said in a little mellow tone, "Mach 20?"

"Yes. And if by chance, you are successful to kill such cold-blooded brute, you shall all receive a cash prize of 10 billion yen. That would be all. Best luck, Shimada-san," he told me. I didn't ask any questions and bid him goodbye. He motioned me to go out of his office.

I could finally breathe! That was the worst 20 minutes in my entire life! Congratulations Mr. Asano, for beating the world record of Aunt Chiyoko and Uncle Aiko! It was much worse being confined in a dark room with a monster of hair-raising personality than with two people maltreating me into a pulp. You go, Principal Asano!

So, I went into a monster's office and talked about killing a creature that could basically destroy the whole world in the blink of an eye like it was a pretty normal thing to talk about. How weird could this day get? Why did I suddenly have the chance to become a goddamn superhero? Anyway…

After that where-art-thou-oxygen moment in Principal Asano's office, I finally searched the whole campus for Class 3-E. Unfortunately, after countless minutes of unfruitful searching, I didn't find my class in the building. Why? Maybe Principal Asano meant that I belonged to Class 3-D, instead of Class 3-E. Perhaps he forgot how many 3rd year classes were there in this campus. Well, I didn't want to go back to _that_ room again so I just asked some students where my class is.

"Oh you mean the bottom of the barrel class, eh? It's a kilometer away from here on the foot of the mountain," a lanky student told me.

Was that even possible? Why on earth did this school implement a system built with discrimination? I didn't want to fight back so I just muttered a thanks and went away. I didn't even let him say, "you're welcome," and it wasn't like he was going to do it because I was a part of, as he said, the bottom of the barrel class.

So, I went out of the school and proceeded to the direction he pointed me. And oh boy, my feet weren't prepared for this physical activity. I took a deep breath, and I was ready to go! I looked at my watch and…

I WAS RUNNING LATE!

I ran straight to the forest with all my might like I was at the speed of light. Speaking of speed, holy smokes I just remembered that I needed to _kill_ someone that possessed a speed of Mach 20. How was I supposed to murder somebody? I didn't even know how to use a gun, or a knife for Pete's sake!

While I was in the midst of my pondering, I saw a petite framed, blue pony-tailed girl running in the same direction as I was. She was about 10 meters away from me. I could tell that she was in a rush too. Great way to start your first day in Kunugigaoka High, huh Mika?

"Hey, wait up!" I yelled a little loudly.

She, then, turned around and I saw her stunning azure eyes. Woah, this girl was so _kawaii!_

"Hi, are you in class 3-E as well?" I panted heavily.

"Yeah, are you?" She asked me in return while she was smiling. Ah! She was so cute and I bet her personality matched her beautiful smile as well.

I nodded a little too vigorously. I couldn't help it!

She slowed down and was running the same pace as I was. Awwww! That was so considerate of her.

"I'm Mika Shimada, by the way. But you can call me Mika if you wish," I said while I was running. She nodded and…

"I'm Nagisa Shiota. Nice to meet you, Shimada-san," she replied. Wait, Shimada-san?!

"Oh no, call me Mika, please," I pleaded. Who knew that Nagisa-chan was so polite?

"Er… okay Mika, whatever suits you," she winked. Oh my goodness, she's so cute. Really, if I had a yen every time I said "cute" inside my head, I would definitely have more than 10 million yen in my hands right now.

We talked about the crescent shape of the moon and how horrible it was for us to end up in 3-E to assassinate the creature involved to such phenomenon. It was already bad enough that we were being discriminated by the whole school, and then we still had a heavy responsibility on our shoulders. Just great! We also conversed about how we would kill it. Nagisa told me that it was odd that we would assassinate our own teacher.

Wait a minute…

"Sensei?!" I said in disbelief. Okay, I had already overreacted a bunch of times this day. I should stop doing it, seriously. But who wouldn't be so surprised? There was already too much information to handle! Sometimes, you just had to overreact it all out. No really, I didn't know that we had to kill our own teacher. Principal Asano didn't tell me anything about it.

"Yes, our target is sensei, and the only weirder thing than murdering our own sensei is that he, himself, would be the one to teach us how to kill him."

Okay, my brain couldn't handle all the weirdness that it had to contain today. This was just too much. First, that intimidating Principal Asano. Then, I had to murder a terrifying creature for 10 million yen. After that, the "terrifying creature" was actually our teacher.

Before we knew it, we were already in front of a classroom right on the foot of the mountain. And I had to say that it was the complete opposite of the main building of Kunugigaoka High. It was a small, rundown, wooden structure with a few windows bordering along its walls. By the looks of its roof, I bet this little classroom would get a lot of leaks when it rains.

Nagisa-chan and I went into the little classroom and by the time we opened the door, a huge surprise was right before our eyes. The whole class were firing their guns at a smiling, yellow, octopus-like creature who appeared to have a lot of after images. He was swiftly dodging all the bullets. This was what Principal Asano was talking about. Amateur assassins in close combat with a powerful creature didn't go well.

As if on cue, the whole class stopped when sensei looked at Nagisa-chan's and my direction. Uh-oh. This wasn't good.

"Nurufufufufu. What a surprise! Nagisa-kun, and transfer student, Shimada-san, you are late on your first day," he said and then suddenly, his face was a dark shade of purple with a red "x" on it! WHAT?

"Gomenasai, sensei," Nagisa and I apologized in unison.

"Serve this as a warning. I might look like a formidable creature, but I am still your teacher so you must respect me. Come to class punctually, okay?"

"Hai, sensei!"

Everyone sat down and dropped their guns because the class was about to start. The two of us went to our seats and luckily, I could sit beside Nagisa-chan. She was also sitting beside a green-haired and chocolate-eyed girl with the same physique as Nagisa-chan.

"Pst, Nagisa-chan! Ask the girl beside you what her name is!" I nudged her and pointed at the green-haired girl's direction.

And so she did. They clicked really well and then Nagisa-chan introduced me to…

"Kayano, meet Mika. Mika, this is Kayano."

We shook hands and we smiled brightly. This girl was pretty kawaii too!

"Ehem!" Sensei cleared his throat while he was looking at us.

"As I was saying…" He droned on and on about math. And then Kayano and I giggled.

Math time was over! Finally, it was already break time! I could already talk with Kayano and Nagisa-chan!

"Hey, Nagisa, why don't you cut your hair?" Asked Kayano. Why would Kayano ask Nagisa-chan to cut her beautiful blue hair, though?

"Some reason that I can't tell you just yet," Nagisa replied.

Kayano gestured Nagisa-chan to come closer to her and she tied her hair into a neat pig-tail. I could tell that this was the right time I barge in.

"Now, you look even prettier Nagisa-chan!" I complimented her. And following after that was an awkward silence. Okay, what was up?

"Pretty?" Nagisa-chan asked wearing a really confused face. Oh my goodness, did I offend her? I only said that she was pretty!

"Uhm, Mika," Kayano said. "After all this time… you didn't notice?" She added in a very bewildered voice.

"Mika," said Nagisa-chan in a low voice, staring at me intently, with her hands on my shoulders

"I am a boy," she (he) said. And that my friends, made my face turn into a billion shades of red. I was really embarrassed that I couldn't look into her (his) eyes and I couldn't even speak. This was really humiliating! I couldn't even apologize because when I tried to open my mouth to say something, it would close by itself as if it was telling me to keep it sealed it forever.


	3. Chapter 3: His Innate Talent

Short A/N: I have seen a review from an anonymous guest and I didn't know how respond directly so, I am just going to post my answer here.

"Mika should have noticed that Nagisa was a guy all along because he was wearing a boy's uniform."

It does make sense, yes, that she should have known that he was a male. That reason and the fact that Koro-sensei said his name as "Nagisa-kun" makes her character absolutely dense. For those who do not know what "-kun" is, it's simply a gender-neutral honorific suffix but it is typically used with a boy's name. Kayano asked her why didn't she notice that Nagisa was a dude because of the reason stated above. Plus, I actually wrote it that way on purpose to balance the dramatic atmosphere of the chapter with a bit of hilarity. Thank you for using your precious time to make a clever review to my story, anyway! I truly appreciate it.

Just a reminder that this story is somewhat different from AK's actual plot. Imagine that all of the students are already complete from the very first day.

 **Chapter 3: His Innate Talent**

 _Three days had_ passed and I still couldn't get over the fact that I'd mistaken Nagisa as a girl. It was completely humiliating. They still laughed whenever they mentioned _that_ awkward moment. I wouldn't blame them, though. It was absolutely hilarious when you think about it. Seriously speaking, Nagisa would definitely be a fine lady when you imagine him as a female. He would be exceedingly prettier than me.

Three days had already passed and Kayano decided to call our teacher, "Korosensei". Apparently, Korosensei didn't have a name until the day Kayano branded him as such. We had to write a poem that should end with, "it was tentacles all along." Korosensei told us that we should end it that way, or anything between the lines. It was pretty awkward writing that as a conclusion. I mean, how could you pour all of your emotions in your poem if you had to end it… that way? It would have sounded ridiculous if I wrote…

"In solitude, even before time existed  
To drown in tears, truly exhausted  
All I knew was I was alone  
It was tentacles all along"

To write, for me is literally significant. I was very passionate about writing. And to add such ludicrous detail in something that I love doing was… annoying. Why should my poem end that way? I thought about adding Korosensei's name in my poem. I didn't have any choice. To dispense my feelings in a poem that should end with such silliness was pointless. My work would be ruined if I did that.

"Undefeatable, and inhumanly fast  
Should be reaped by this class  
With their combined bloodlust  
To kill how killing never was

How do you ever annihilate  
One so near yet so far away  
One who is truly far superior  
Than me, the total inferior?

I cannot ever wield a knife  
And I'd shoot a gun so wrong  
Korosensei, how would I take your life  
Was it to aim at your tentacles all along?"

My poem didn't make any sense. Thank you for giving me a hard time, octopus-sensei. This was, by far, the worst thing I had ever written. I usually was satisfied with my works, but this thing… this thing completely went out of hand. I didn't even try my best. I hated this but I had to do it. For the sake of my grades. Geez.

And now…

There were two brand new teachers in Class 3-E. One was a debonair man with spiky dark-night hair and eyes that could pierce through you like razor sharp knives. He seemed professional wearing his black business suit, white collared shirt, and a black tie.

"Tadaomi Karasuma, but you shall call me Karasuma-sensei," his voice was deep. Despite his piercing eyes, his personality was a lot more likeable than Principal Asano's menacing character. I knew this partly because I couldn't sense ominous shadows from his eyes and also for the reason that Kurahashi-san's peridot orbs were filled with so much adoration that they turned into hearts.

The other one was a seductively attractive tall young woman who looked like a foreigner. Her face was rather round (not like Korosensei's though) and her long hair was a shade between gold and blonde. Her eyes were quite appealing. It caught my attention the most because they were as blue as the serene sky, but there was something concealed within those untroubled orbs. I could sense something peculiar behind those baby blues.

She introduced herself as Irina Jela-what's-it. I didn't completely understand what she said despite of her clear pronunciation. I couldn't quite catch the last syllable of her surname. It sounded like "bitch" and I hope I heard it the wrong way.

"Call me Jelavić-sensei. I will be your English teacher," she said in a happy tone, then she stared at Korosensei with a look that's not suitable for very young audiences. This made Korosensei's face turn into a bright shade of pink. What a lecher.

"So Bitch-sensei, what's up with the bold outfit?" Terasaka-kun asked blatantly. It was purely disrespectful to say such thing out of the blue, and calling her bitch-sensei in front of the whole class was unforgivable. We had the same question in mind though, but I didn't bother to say anything. If you had something to say with such insolence, it was better to say nothing at all.

She glared at Terasaka-kun sharply and it could literally send knives through him. He didn't seem affected though.

"It's Je-la-vić. Do you even know the difference between 'bitch' and 'vić'? No wonder you're in Class 3-E! Tch, I mean, you really are the dimwit of the dimwits!"

This left half of the class open-mouthed, and the other half obviously… outraged. And maybe I was in between. She's an adult, she should know to choose words that were more courteous than what she had just said.

"And I am the teacher in this room, you're only a mere student. Respect me. Or do you need me to spell the word out for you because you're so dumb? Plus, I like the way I wear my outfit! Why do you give a damn about my clothes, anyway—"

"Please. Stop it, Irina-sensei. Insults are not allowed in this classroom. You already said it yourself, that you are a teacher. You should act like one. Terasaka-kun and this class are not dimwits. They simply have a different way of learning than the other classes. You're an English teacher, then you should teach them how to pronounce your name properly. You should know that it's better to make them learn by actually teaching them, not by announcing such rudeness," Koro-sensei interrupted. And it was Jela-what's-it's turn to be open-mouthed… and probably angry at the same time.

"And as for you, Terasaka-kun. I hope this doesn't happen again. If you are to ask someone who's older than you, you should ask them nicely. It could have prevented Irina-sensei's reaction." Terasaka-kun looked the other way, trying to avoid shared gazes with Korosensei.

Bitch-sensei's face became beet-red and I could tell that it wasn't out of humiliation, but out of immature anger.

"Why did Terasaka-kun only get a short lecture about being disrespectful, while me on the other hand had a… URGH!" She stormed out of the room. This was really awkward.

The whole class sat there in awkward silence. Korosensei followed Bitch-sensei out of the room, and I was hoping that he would apologize and not… you know… being the lecher he was.

Then, Karasuma-sensei shook his head and sighed.

"Okay, we are going to do an activity outside of this room. Time to get started!"

Thank you Karasuma-sensei for attempting to break the ice because as you can see, you had succeeded. Well done, our dear teacher.

Finally, after that blood-boiling drama, we went out of the classroom and proceeded to the forest. We all organized ourselves in straight lines and we looked to Karasuma-sensei's direction.

"Now, we are here for a reason, obviously. I just want to assess every single one of you about your skills in the aspect of assassination. We would do another activity like this at the end of the semester in order to see your progress. And I would gladly do my best to assist those students who are left behind. But keep in mind, that we only have until your graduation to assassinate that octopus," Karasuma-sensei said while he was holding a small box.

"In this tiny box that I am carrying are numbers. All of you should pick a number and find the person with the same number as you have. They would be your partner in this activity that we would be doing. All of you have to try and kill your opponent. Today, you will try to eliminate your enemy in close combat. Tomorrow, you will do a far-ranged fight. Of course, you don't have to literally kill them. You're going to use the weapons that you need to use in order to annihilate your octopus of a teacher. Just mark them with a red 'x' on whatever part of their body that you want to target. Winning, of course, doesn't guarantee that you have shown an impeccable talent. Bear in mind that your triumph in this activity could only be a fluke, thus you have no reason to boast about such accomplishment for this is only an assessment."

"Now, pick your numbers randomly in this bo—"

"But, Karasuma-sensei! What if, by chance, two people of different combat preference were partnered together? What if one person is better at close combat than a far-ranged one? And the other prefers vice versa," asked Okuda-san, her face looking quizzical.

"Good question! Well, one of the characteristics of assassins is versatility, thus they should be adaptable to their surroundings. Because, at some point in a critical situation wherein death's grasp is a nanometer away from them, for example their desired weapon to use is not in sight and the only thing they have is a weapon they're not used to wield or to shoot, they're going to have to use it no matter what. Because assassins are supposed to be flexible and resourceful," replied Karasuma-sensei wittily.

My classmates stood there in awe, like they had watched an amazing talent show. Karasuma-sensei sure did know how to use his words pretty well. I, on the contrary, was amused but unlike them, I didn't want to do this activity. May it be fake or not, anything that involved violence wasn't something that I was interested in. You see, I had enough of witnessing cruelty. I had already been kicked and awfully maltreated. I spent years of tolerating Aunt Chiyoko and her husband's vehement aggressiveness. I was quite sure that I never ever wanted to be like them, even if it costed me my life.

And then out of the blue…

"Nurufufufu! Very well said. You sure do know how to be a real teacher, am I right Irina-sensei? Nurufufufu!"

We were all surprised not because of Koro-sensei but because of Irina-sensei.

"Y-yes," she said while her eyes were closed. She was totally embarrassed because of that scene in the classroom. And why were we surprised, you ask? Well, before she was wearing a rather showy uniform but now she was wearing gym clothes and her hair was up in a neat ponytail, finished up with a hairband.

She was somewhat kawaii this way than her overall look a few moments ago, to be really honest.

"Without any further ado, you should all pick your numbers. This activity is just a pre-test, but do your best."

All of the students went to Karasuma-sensei and got our own ripped papers with a number written on each of them. Subsequently, they were eagerly looking for their partners. And I, on the other hand, just stood there. I didn't even bother to open my folded piece of paper. I merely observed my surroundings, looking at my classmates in pursuit of their respectful opponents.

In a blink of an eye, everyone had already found their partners.

Well maybe not everyone.

"The Autonomously Thinking Fixed Artillery, obviously won't be joining this activity because, not to be blunt, 'she' clearly has far more superior skills than all of your capabilities combined," said Karasuma-sensei when everyone was settled.

"She would help me, Irina, and the octopus score and observe all of you," he added.

Great. The "machine" had the chance to just sit its arse there on one of the comfortable-looking benches because it was supposed to do those kind of things, right? Relax and freaking enjoy the show? Oh, what a perfectly good time to be a machine right now. I would totally give up everything to be in its position.

Just when everything was about to start, I saw Nagisa roaming around and seemed to be looking for something. He stared at the sheet of paper he was holding and then anxiously searched for something. Korosensei seemed to had taken notice of him as well.

"Nagisa-kun," he called. Everyone looked at our teacher. He whispered something to Nagisa and then they looked at me. Oh…kay? What was up?

Nagisa went to my direction, and then I finally realized that he was the only one without a partner, except from the Autonomously Thinking Fixed Artillery because she didn't freaking need one, fortunately for her!

"Can I see your number, Mika?"

I unfolded my tiny piece of paper and showed him the number written on it. He, then, smiled and said that he was my partner. Lucky for me, I didn't mind losing to him. He was my friend, anyway. I knew that he wouldn't judge.

"Alright! Let's begin this activity. First pair: Sugino and Isogai!"

The two boys stood up and walked to the front. The rest of the students just sat in pairs and their gaze followed Sugino-kun's and Isogai-kun's motion.

I could hear Nagisa saying something but I did not totally understand what he said. All that I perceived were "two" and "great". Nothing more. I could also see Karasuma-sensei saying something to the two guys, and I could also see them nodding. Each of them grabbed a knife that we should use to kill Korosensei.

Karasuma-sensei tooted his whistle. I guess this was the beginning.

I could see them sweating. They were just as completely nervous as I was, the only difference was they were actually doing something. That they were actually participating in this activity. That they were willing to fight.

Isogai-kun was the first one to charge at his enemy, and Sugino-kun immediately dodged. Wow, I never thought Sugino-kun had really great reflexes. Isogai-kun was also quick to attack. They were doing pretty well, though. I couldn't understand why Karasuma-sensei didn't seem pretty amused. These two boys were amazing, but why wasn't he satisfied?

It was Sugino-kun's turn to attack Isogai-kun. He dashed towards his partner and aimed at his chest. Isogai-kun was stunned for a moment, until he came to his senses that he was going to be attacked. He avoided his opponent's strike, the knife almost touching his shoulder. Close call! Isogai-kun, then, suddenly threw his knife at Sugino-kun. Before he could even look at his enemy's direction, he was already hit by the knife on his back. It now had a streak of blood red line. Just another red line perpendicular to that mark would mean that Isogai-kun wins.

The tables had turned now, actually. Sugino-kun had the upper hand this time. He grabbed his opponent's knife on the ground. Isogai-kun was left unarmed. Vulnerable. He still needed to run and get his weapon, but with Sugino-kun holding it, he wouldn't be able to do anything about it. He wouldn't stand a chance against his partner.

Sugino-kun charged at Isogai-kun. Isogai-kun rolled over to dodge his attack. This was a sticky situation for him but looking at his face, it seemed like he had an idea in mind. He sprinted towards the buckets of paint. Sugino-kun attacked again, but his knife hit one container of paint and then its lid was sliced open, sending the red liquid all over the place.

Karasuma-sensei, along with the other teachers and the damned machine that got the comfortable seat, put on interested faces. I could already sense that something bizarre was about to happen.

The battle continued and I could feel that they were about to reach the climax of this fight. More attacks came from Sugino-kun but Isogai-kun dodged each strike warily. Now, both of them were sweating not because of nervousness, but because of the tension that was building up. Sugino-kun already had a mark and Isogai-kun was unscathed. Zero. Zilch. Zip. But, Sugino-kun had two weapons and Isogai-kun… well… Zero. Zilch. Zip.

Just then, Sugino-kun ran very fast towards Isogai-kun. And he just stayed there like no one was planning to attack him. He just stood there as if he was a statue. He. Just. Stayed. There. Like. A. Boss.

And of course, the obvious outcome: Isogai-kun got smeared with one visible red line. When Sugino-kun was about to mark him with another line (to form an x), Karasuma-sensei blew his whistle, catching everybody else's attention.

"We have a winner!"

All of us just sat there in bewilderment. I heard confused whispers everywhere. I couldn't blame them, I was absolutely puzzled, too.

"I don't understand," I told Nagisa. He nodded in agreement and replied, "you're not the only one."

"But how come? Sugino-kun still hasn't finished marking an x on Isogai-kun," Nagisa said to Karasuma-sensei.

"But I haven't announced the winner yet," Karasuma-sensei replied. I looked at everyone and I was pretty sure that I had just seen a big "what the hell did just happen," written on each of their faces. The two boys stood up and Sugino-kun turned around. We saw a red 'x' imprinted on his uniform. The winner's name didn't have to be announced because it was already obvious. We were dumbfounded because of what we saw.

The big question was, "how?"

"Nurufufufu! Great job, boys! Your battle surprised me. I didn't expect to watch such an intense scene. Isogai-kun, you were brilliant," Korosensei commented.

"All it takes is to mark your opponent with an 'x' and then you win the fight. I have already expected something interesting is about to happen when you ran towards those buckets of paint. The reason why you ran towards those buckets was to lure Sugino-kun and make him cut one container open and for you to dip your hand in the spilled red paint until you get the chance to mark another line on Sugino-kun's back, therefore etching a red 'x' on that part of his body. When he finally charged at you, and you deliberately let him mark you with a red line, and you had the chance to streak another line on your target. And so, you did. That was absolutely witty of you, Isogai-kun," he added. Karasuma-sensei was kind of speechless, probably because the things that he wanted to say was already said by Korosensei.

"And as for you, Sugino-kun. Don't worry, you did an amazing job as well. If it was an actual battle, you could have won because you had your opponent's only weapon. Your reflexes were truly commendable, and I know that you can still improve that," Korosensei praised Sugino-kun. This cheered him up. Well, he had no reason to frown because he showed pure excellence when he fought with Isogai-kun.

Every single one of us (except from the two boys and the judges) became instantly afraid afterwards because we all had this feeling that we should equal the first two guys' level of competence, ability, knowledge, and intensity. I wouldn't be able to reach their skills. I was just a lowly teenager who was involved in some assassination crap that I didn't want to be included in, in the first place.

The next battle began between Kirara Hazama and Minami Okuda, and well… it didn't turn out pretty intense as the first one because Okuda-san immediately surrendered. Hazama-san did not even have to mark an 'x' on her body for the people around to declare that her opponent won.

The rest of the matches were uneventful. Some of the students seemed confident and the others were well… the opposite. Some of them looked like they peed in their pants. Some of them didn't know how to hold their knives. Some of them were klutzes. Others could have shown their hidden talents in assassination more if their opponents weren't so scared of them. Bitch-sensei told them that they should stop hiding in their eggshells. Korosensei said that he will help them get out of their comfort zones.

Chiba-kun and Hiyami-san were great. It was almost a tie but Hiyami-san was a nanosecond faster than Chiba-kun. The both of them threw their knives at each other when they finally marked their opponents with one red line. Hiyami-san was the first to mark an 'x' on Chiba-kun's arm.

And then it was our turn. It was Nagisa's and my turn. I wasn't ready. I never was. I looked at Nagisa's face from the side. His eyes showed determination, which was a good sign because I wanted him to win against me. I knew that he could also feel my rapid pulse because when he looked at me, he said that everything was going to be okay, and then he smiled reassuringly. And surprisingly, I calmed down.

Karasuma-sensei blew his whistle, signaling the start of our fight.

I looked at Nagisa and he closed his eyes while taking a deep breath. When he opened his azure orbs, I felt a strange sensation in my system. His eyes of serenity looked like they were longing for blood to shed. The peculiar thing was it didn't scare me at all. In fact, it sparked something inside of me. It, then, gradually blazed into fire.

Then came the freezing ice, numbing me. I felt nothing but this uncontrollable desire to… to… kill.

I had a tunnel vision. Nothing else was in sight but Nagisa, my target. Nagisa, my opponent. And here I was, charging at him. I aimed my knife at his heart, but as I was running closer and closer to him, he smiled. Then, a realization came at me. Nagisa wasn't something, he was _someone_. He was someone that I shouldn't just kill. He was a friend of mine.

 _Don't cry, Mika. Don't._

Slowly, I put my knife down and I looked to the ground.

I didn't want violence, and then here I was… I almost stabbed my friend. Even if all of this was fake, I still didn't like what I felt. I was engulfed by the same exact thing when I was with Aunt Chiyoko in my room a few days ago. The thing that scared the two of us.

Bloodlust.

This wasn't right. Did I just literally want to kill Nagisa (although this was just some dumb activity)? Did I just point my knife at him? Did this anti-violence heart of mine turn into a hideous monster? No. No. This couldn't be! Stupid Mika! Baka! Baka!

Nagisa's smile turned into a frown. He could totally see my devastated side, but I didn't care. At least he was the only one who could see me like this. Not even my classmates, or the teachers know that I didn't want to fight with him right now.

My eyes pleaded for him to win this stupid battle. He nodded as if he understood what I wanted to imply. He walked towards me, and I felt the tip of his knife etching an 'x' on my shoulder. Subsequently, Karasuma-sensei blew his whistle.

Nagisa hugged me tightly afterwards. Like he wanted to absorb the pain that I felt. Like he wanted to carry the weight of the world that was upon my shoulders. Like he sincerely cared for me. I hugged him back, and my traitorous tears rolled down my face. My eyes were waterfalls and his shoulder was a river, receiving the heaviness that the water was carrying from the top of the cascades.

"It's okay, Mika. Everything is okay," he whispered into my ear. I knew deep inside that it was a lie. My life was a huge mess and now, I was also involved in this assassination classroom. But still... my mind wanted to believe him.

And so, it did.

 _Thank you so much, Nagisa._


End file.
